Resilient wheel



Jr J. NOVAK RESILIENT WHEEL Oct. 14, 1930.

Filed May 29 1928 INVENTOR W m L Patented Oct. 14, 1930 -U,NITED STATESJULIUS J. NOVAK, OF ELMHURST, NEW YORK RESILIENT WHEEL Application filedMay 29, 1928. Serial No. 281,483.

This invention relates to ground or road wheels for automobiles,aeroplanes, and the like, and has particular reference to resilientwheels having shock-absorbing quali- Prior to this invention a number ofdifferent types ofresilient wheels have been proposed but they havegiven rise to objectons for several reasons. Some of them have inemployed telescopic radial spokes and springs in which the compressiveand tensile forces are successively taken by the spoke springs as theyroll into vertical position, and the load is not uniformly distributedto the various springs. Other forms of wheels have employed flat springsof various shapes, in which also the springs in the vertical center takemost of the load. Due to the fact that the load is not evenlydistributed at all times, the springs must be of substantialproportions, and many in number, making the wheels very heavy, clumsy,and expensive, and this coupled with their instability has rendered themunsatisfactory for general v use.

An important object of this invention is to provide a resilient wheel inwhich a plurality of springs are arranged to act synchronously duringthe entire revolution of so the wheel.

- Another. object of the invention is to provide such a wheel in whichthe shock absorbing means. are encased within the wheel, whereby to beprotected from the injurious action of dust and other foreignsubstances.

. Another object is to provide sucha device which will be simple inconstruction, strong and durable in service, of relatively light weight,neat in appearance, and constituting a substantial advance in the art.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the inventionwill'be readily understood from the following description in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, wherein'one form of the invention hasbeen shown by Way of illustration, and

wherein,

Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view through one form ofresilient wheel em bodying the invention; and

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the wheel partly in section on line 22 of Fig.1.

Referring particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that theillustrated en'ibodiment of the invention comprises a main disc 10 and asupplementary disc 11 which are spaced from each other in parallelplanes, but with their centers or axes offset with reference to eachother. The main disc 10 is provided on its periphery with a tire rim 12,of any ordinary or preferred form, for the accommodation of a tire 13,which may be either pneumatic or solid as desired. The supplementarydisc 11 is disposed at or adjacent to the inner face of the wheel and isprovided with a substantially central hub 14 which is rotatably mountedon a spindle 15 of an axle 17. In Fig. l the spindle 15 is shown asbeing a part of a steering knuckle 18 such as is employed inconventional front axles of automobiles and the like, but it is to beunderstood that the invention is not restricted in this respect since itmay be equally well applied to rear axles of automobiles, or totrailers, aeroplanes, etc. Any desired type of anti-friction bearingsmay be employed to journal the spindle 15 in the hub 14, the illustratedembodiment including a roller bearing at 19 and thrust ball bearing at20.

Articulating the rim l2 and hub 14, preferably through the discs 10 and11, are a plurality of shock-absorbing units 21 which are disposed inradially spaced relation about the axes of the discs, and a similarcentral shock-absorbing unit 22. .These shock-absorbing unitsconstitute, in eii'cct, parallel acting links or spokes which yieldablyand resilently connect the hub and rim, and are so arranged as to evenlydivide the load on the wheel, and each unit supporting its proportionalshare of the load throughout the entire revolution of tie wheel. Theeccentric relationship of the two discs 10 and 11 is such that theiraxes are in substantially vertical alinement, and the are thusmaintained in such relationship at all times by the central unit ormaster link 22 as will now be described.

This central shcck-absorbing unit may preferably comprise a T-shapedmember hav ing ahead portion 23 which is keyed as at 2d to the spindle15 whereby to be maintained in fixed position, together with a dependingshank 25 which extends past the axis of the wheel disc 10. A stud 26 issecured centrally in the disc 10 and .e Xt-ends'into a vertical slot 27in the shank 25, said slot guiding the stud in the course of relativevertical movement or" the two discs 10 and 11 and limiting such relativemovement to practical limits. 7 lso' secured to the wheel disc 10 butrotatable with reference thereto is a spring seat member 28 mounted inspaced oppositionto the head portion 23 the master link, and throughwhich the shank 25 1S shdable. Compression springs 29are interposedbetween in which. are anchored the outwardly extending studs 36, andsimilarly tl e, main disc 10 is provided with bosses37 for the.anchorage of a corresponding number of cooperatingstuds 88. Each ortnestuds86 is invertical alinement with one of the studs 38, such alinementbeing constantly;maintained by virtue oi": the anchorage ofthemasterlmkto the .spindle,.and the studs 36 and38 thus arranged in pairsconstitute the foundations of the several shocl -absorbing units .21which? are rotatable about the central. unit or. master link. Journaledon each of the, studs 36 is a spring pad. 39, carrying pilotrods 40which slidably engage in apertures 41 in similar spring pads 42 on thestuds 38,'and compression springs 43 are interposed between therespective spring pads 39 and' l2, such springs preferably surroundingthe pilot rods so.

he springs 43 assist the springs29- in sup porting the load on thewheel, and by virtue olthe parallel action oi the several link units,

each spring will act continuously and uniformly throughout the entirerevolution of the wheel. At the same timethe pilot rods 40 maintain thedisc 10 against lateral movement or displacement with reference to thedisc 11; I

A drum or casing member 45 may preferably be secured 'as-by fasteningmeans 46 to the main disc 10,-said drum'i-ncluding an annular wall 47having central opening 48' to accommodate the spindle l5, and'a'circumfcrential wall d9 which, if desired, may function as abrake drumin cooperatlon with a friction brake band 50, conventionally shown inFig. 1. The opening 48 in the wall 47 must necessarily be quite largebecause of the eccentric relation between the discs 10 and 11, and inorder to cover said opening, a stationary plate 51 may be secured to thesteer-.

ing'knuckle or spindle 15,.said plateebeing larger, than the opening ,48and being in substantially sealing engagement with the annular drum wall47.

Y hen-inountedfor use, the parts are astion, and thereforewillfunction;continuous ly and uniformly as paralleliyielding spokes. Inriding over rough parts. of asroad, or 2 the like, the yieldingcoimect-ionpermits relative movement between the. rim; and the-z hub andthe springs absorb the shocks and return theparts'toitheirnormalpositions. i z

Any suitable, means :may. be provided for lubricating the .studs andother relatively movable parts within the wheel, either. with oil orgrease'as by the Aleniite system, but as this.constitutes no. salientfeature ofthe invention ithascnot been illustrated; I

I It is to be understood'that greater or less number of shockeabsorbingunits canbe': employed, dependent entirely uponthe size of wheel, spaceavailable, weight .to be borne, etc, such modifications being Within thecapabilityo'f skilled designers. T he improved wheelsmaybe'nsedeitherwit-hoiwithout regularchassis suspension springs, dependent upon thedegree of resiliency required. 7

From. the foregoing it will. be. evident that a substantial advance hasbeen made in the art, by providing a wheelhavingresilient load-bearing,shock-absorbing means built into The construction is extremelyisimple,being capable or economical production, and strongand durable inservice' Obviously the inventionis susceptible of numerous modificationsother than those specifically mentioned, and; the rightis hereinreserved to make. such changes asiallxwithinthe scope of the appended.claims without departing from theuspirit oftheinvention.

Having, thus described my? invention, what lclaim-is:

1. A wheel ofthe. class described, comprisa rotatable hub, a rim, andaral-lel resilient spokes connectingthe hub and the rim, saidspokesbeing substantially verticaliand r'otata'bleand beingadaptedtomaintaintheir aarallehrelation: during; the completerevolution or" theWheel. r

2. A wheel of the class described, comprising a main disc and rim, arotatable hub portion, and a plurality of constantly parallel andsubstantially vertical resilient spokes connecting the hub portion withthe rim, said spokes being protectively concealed by the main disc.

3. In a device of the class described, a pair of spaced parallel discs,and a plurality of parallel links forming a resilient connection betweensaid discs said links being disposed in a direction transverse to theaxes of the discs.

4. In a device of the class described, a pair of spaced parallel discs,and a plurality of parallel links forming a resilient connection betweensaid discs, said. links being arranged substantially vertically andmaintaining said relationship throughout the complete revolution of thewheel.

5. In a'device of the class described, a pair of spaced parallel discs,a wheel rim carried by one of the discs, a hub carried by the otherdisc,a plurality of rocking members arranged in pairs on the opposingfaces of the discs, and yielding connections between the rocking membersofeach pair.

6. A road wheel having a plurality of revolving shock absorbers attachedthereon, said shock absorbers rotating about a centrally fixed shockabsorber.

7. A road wheel having a plurality of revolving yielding units attachedthereon said units rotating about a centrally fixed yielding unlt.

8. A road wheel having a plurality of revolving yielding units attachedthereon said units rotating about a central yielding unit which is fixedto the hub shaft.

9. A road wheel having a plurality of revolving yielding units attachedthereon and said yielding units comprising spring seat rockers andsprings to react with the load, and, a substantially central link tocheck and limit upward movement.

10. In a wheel of the class described, a wheel rim, a hub having a fixedaxis eccentrically disposed with reference to that of the wheel rim, andcontinuously acting yielding connections between the hub and the wheelrim.

11. In a wheel of the class described, a wh el rim, a hub having a fixedaxis eccentrically disposed with reference to that of the wheel rim, andcontinuously acting shockabsorbing units connecting the hub with thewheel rim.

12. In a wheel of the class described, a wheel rim, a hub having a fixedaxis eccentrically disposed with reference to that of the wheel rim, andcontinuously acting parallel link units yieldingly connecting the hubwith the wheel rim, the load on the wheel be ing uniformly divided bysaid parallel link units. I

13. I11 a wheel of the class described, a main wheel disc having a tirerim on its periphery, a supplementary disc having a substantiallycentral hub eccentrically disposed with reference to the main wheeldisc, a substantially central yielding link connection between saiddiscs whereby each disc is rotatable about its own axis, and a pluralityof radially spaced parallel acting shock absorbing units articulatingthe two discs and adapted to revolve about the central link connection.

14. A road wheel having a plurality of yielding units attached thereon,said units rotating about a centrally fixed unit and means to supportsaid units against lateral movement.

15. A road wheel having a plurality of yielding units attached thereon,said units rotating about a centrally yielding unit which is fixed tothe axle shaft and means to support said central unit against lateralmovement.

In testimony whereof, I have atfixcd my signature hereto.

JULIUS J. N OVAK.

